January 8, 2018—One-year-old wombat Gem at Zoos Victoria's Healesville Sanctuary has the zoomies, a sudden burst of running. It's a heartening sign of her comeback. After Gem was found injured and dehydrated, she was taken to the refuge near Melbourne for recovery. Familiar to pet owners, "zoomies," or FRAPS—Frenetic Random Activity Periods—are generally considered a healthy energy release for cats and dogs. And, as Ollie at the Wombat Awareness Organization’s sanctuary shows, these marsupials can give their distant zoomy cousins a run for the money. House cats can hit 30 miles per hour; a few dog breeds break 40 mph. A top speed of 25 mph makes wombats like Ollie a surprise contender in the animal speed competition.
